Posts filed under ‘coal export’

Here at Climate Action Moreland we were expecting a Shorten Labor government to be elected on May 18. Even though Labor climate policy was very problematic in many areas, the targets were more ambitious (though not nearly enough). We were as shocked by the result of the re-election of a Morrison Government with a slim majority, which was out of step with public opinion polls.

Climate change was one of the big issues of the campaign, with wide concern expressed. This can be seen in The Australia Institute polling which showed that action for climate change was a strong concern, including support for climate emergency action. Read David Spratt’s blog: Support for action surges, majority say we face climate emergency.

On Thursday, the second last day of the UN Climate Change conference in Bonn, 25 Nations, provinces and cities took the extraordinary step of committing to coal phaseout in a declaration to phase out coal in the OECD by 2030 and globally by 2050.

Everyone at COP outside the negotiating rooms is talking about coal and fossil fuels. But it is a sad fact that fossil fuels are not even mentioned or referred to once in the Paris Agreement, hence does not come up in the formal negotiating discussions or texts.

Progess on finance for Loss and Damages was one of the big asks by Pacific nations and developing countries at this conference. But substantial progress was blocked by developed countries like US, Australia, Canada and European Union. At the end a forum was conceded to discuss financial options in May. Weak progress.

Before the conference Climate Action Moreland joined with other civil society groups in signing on to the Climate Damages Declaration.

It’s just a quick trip on the No 19 tram down Sydney Road and get off at Princes Park. Or come by bike down the Upfield Bikepath, or along the inner city rail reserve from the east or Capital City Trail from the west to Princes Park.(more…)

The Lofoten Declaration argues that Climate Leadership Requires a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production. Climate Action Moreland has endorsed this important declaration that has been signed by many Non Government Organisation around the world, large and small.

We think it is time Australia started the managed reduction of our fossil fuel production and incorporated just transition principles, particularly for the export trade.

At the launch of the declaration in early September 2017 Truls Gulowsen of Greenpeace Norway said, “The world already has access to more oil, coal, and gas than we can afford to burn if we hope to stay within the Paris climate goals. It is imperative that we stop exploring and expanding into new reserves, and instead start thinking about how we are going to have a just transition away from our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels.”

Australian greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 1.3 per cent of global emissions, but if you factor export coal (estimated at 3.3 percent of global emissions) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), we produce over 5 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions when these fossil fuels are burnt. (See Christoff 2012)(more…)

In the lead up to the United Nations Climate Conference, COP23, in Bonn Germany in November, the Australian ambassador for climate is touring Pacific Island nations touting Australia’s climate action credentials.

Pacific Civil society have called out the ambassador Patrick Suckling, and Australia’s climate policies, with a new award that highlights Australia’s ongoing promotion of fossil fuels.

The inaugural ‘Pacific Fossil Award’, was given to Australia for repeated efforts to convince Pacific island countries that Australia is serious about tackling climate change, even while making the problem worse by expanding coal exports, and promoting the use of coal abroad.(more…)

The Liberal National Party government lost a motion in the House of Representatives of our Federal Parliament yesterday. Amid all this crisis over dual citizenship and section 44 of the constitution that has now embroiled Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the Government were unable to muster the numbers and lost 61 votes against to 69 votes in favour. Read the full story at Climate Home.